Film washing device

ABSTRACT

A film washer which includes a base block on which inner and outer tubular wall members are mounted. The wall members extend upwardly to define an inner chamber inside the inner wall member and an outer chamber between the wall members. Upper ends of the chambers are open. An inlet passageway in the base block supplies wash liquid into the inner chamber. Jets direct the liquid tangentially to cause the liquid to swirl around film reels mounted in the inner chamber. The wash liquid overflows the upper end of the inner wall member into the outer chamber. A discharge passageway in the base block receives wash liquid from the outer chamber.

[451 Jan.18,1972

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[22] Filed: Oct. 27, 1969 Assistant Examiner-Alan Mathews Attorney-Pearce & Schaeperklaus [21] Appl. No.; :$69.121

ABSTRACT rge iquid from the outer chamber.

983,141 l/l9l1 Hutteballe et al. 1,395,160 10/1921 Stockwell 2,128,921 9/1938 Draeger........ 2,399,617 5/1946 Ballantyne 2,524,686 10/1950 Todoroff 4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures ritiri wAsiiiNc nevica This invention relates to a device for washing photographic film and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a film washer which causes water to circulate around film strips mounted on reels to thoroughly wash the film strips.

Briefly, this invention provides a film-washing device which includes an inner lupright open-topped chamber in which washer reels are mounted with film thereon surrounded by an outer upright open-topped chamber through which water is removed. Water i's introduced into the bottom of the inner chamber and is directed upwardly with a rotating motion to cause the water to swirl around film on the washer reels, the water overflowing the upper edge of the wall of the inner chamberto be received in the outer chamber from which the water is discharged. The water enters the inner chamber through jets mounted in a bottom panel thereof which jets extend upwardly and tangentially of circles spaced between the center of the inner chamber and the wall thereof.

The above andother features and objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from the following detailed description and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a film-washing device constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, hose connections therefor being shown in double dot-dash lines, the direction of waterflow being indicated by arrows;

FIG. 2 is a view in section taken on the line 2-2 in FIG. 1, film reels being indicated in double dot-dash lines;

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken on an enlarged scale on the line 3-3 in FIG. l, the film reels being indicated in double dot-dash lines;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in end elevation of the device taken in the direction ofthe arrows 4 4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the device taken in the direction of the arrows 5-5 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view in section taken on the line 6-6 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a view in section taken on the line 7-7 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a view in section taken on the line 8-8 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a view in section taken on the'line 9-9 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. l is a fragmentary view in upright section of the device showing the film reels mounted therein, one of the film reels and film thereon being partly broken away.

In the following detailed description and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In FIGS. l, 2, 3, and is shown a film-washing device constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention. The device includes a base clock 13 on which are mounted concentric inner and outer tubular wall members 14 and 16, which are mounted on the base block 13 and extend upwardly therefrom. Lower ends of` the wall members 14 and 16 are attached to the upper face of the block 13 in liquidtight relation thereto. The wall members 14 and 16 define an inner chamber 17 inside the wall member 14 and an annular outer chamber 18 between the wall members 14 and 16.

A socket 19 (FIG. 7) is formed centrally of the upper face of the base block 13 and receives a lower end portion of a rod 21 which extends upwardly along the axis ofthe wall members 14 and 16. The lower end of the rod 21 is hemisphe'rical in shape and engages a conic lower face of the socket 19 so that the rod 21 is rotatably supported thereon. A ring 22 mounted on the rod 21 is disposed a little above an upper face 22 of the base block 13. Water or other wash liquid is introduced into the inner chamber 17 through inlet jets 23, 24, 26 and 27 (FIG. 3). The inlet jets extend upwardly and generally tangentially of circles (not shown) concentric with the wall member 14. The inlet jets 23 and 24 are supplied by a horizontal bore 29 (FIG. 8) in the base block 13 and the inlet jets 26 and 27 are supplied by a horizontal bore 31 (FIG. 9) in the base block 13. The bores 29 and 31 form an inlet passageway and are supplied through an inlet nipple 32. As shown in FIG. 1, a supply line 33 can be attached to the inlet nipple 32. The bores 29 and 31 form branches of the inlet passageway on opposite sides of the axis of the inner chamber.

Water leaves the outer chamber 18 through an upright bore 34 (FIG. 6) and a horizontal bore or discharge passageway 36 formed in the base block 13. A nipple 37 attached to the base block 13 communicates with the interior of the horizontal bore 36. As shown in FIG. l, a discharge hose 38 can be attached to the nipple 37. A small upright bore 39 (FIG. 6) connects the interior of the inner chamber 17 with the horizontal bore 36 to permit drainage of the inner chamber when the film washer is no t in use. The bore 39 is sufficiently small in diameter that only av minor portion of the wash liquid introduced into the inner chamber through the inlet passageway is discharged therethrough while liquid is being supplied through the inlet passageway.

The washing device is constructed for use in washing strips 40 (FIG.,10) of photographic film which are mounted on film reels 41 (FIGS. 2 and 10). Each ofthe film reels 4l (FIG. l0) can Vbe of usual construction and includes a central tube 42 at opposite ends of which are mounted generally circular flanges 43 and 44. Spiral .ribs 45 and 46 on the flanges 43 and 44, respectively, receive edges of one of the film strips 40. Per-l forations 47 in the flanges permit passing of water therethrough. A plurality of film reels 4l is mounted on the rod 21, as shown in FIG. 2, with strips of film mounted thereon with the loweimost film reel resting on the ring 22 and spaced above the face 22'. Then water under pressure is introduced through the supply line 33 (FIG. l), and the water enters the inner chamber 17 through the tangentially directed inlet jets to swirl inside the inner chamber as the water rises therein. The water swirls around the lm reels and can cause the film reels and the rod 2l to turn with the swirling water. The water passes over the top of the ltubular wall member 14 to fall into the outer chamber 18 to be discharged through the discharge line 38. When film on the reels 41 (FIG. 2) has been washed sufficiently, the rod 21 can be raised to remove the reels 4l from the device. As shown in FIG. 7, an upper end portion 49 of the bearing socket 19 is conically formed for guiding the lower end ofthe rod 2l into the socket 19.

The inner and outer tubular wall members 14 and 16 can be formed of transparent plastic material or the like so that the interior of the device can be observed as the water washes the film therein. The base block 13, the tubular wall members 14 and 16, and the nipples 32 and 37 can be foi'med as separate pieces and can be attached together adhesively. The inner wall member 17 extends upwardly above the upper edge of the outer wall member 16 so that the wash water overflowing the top ofthe inner wall member can be observed.

The film-washing device described above is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent is:

1. A device for washing photographic film which comprises a base block, inner and outer tubular wall members mounted on the base block and extending upwardly therefrom to dene an inner chamber inside the inner wall member and an outer chamber between the wall members, upper ends of the chambers being open, means for supporting film reels inside the inner chamber, an inlet passageway in the base block, means for introducing wash liquid into the inlet passageway, there being inlet jets extending from the inlet passageway into the interior of the inner chamber, a discharge passageway in the base block, means for receiving wash liquid from the discharge passageway, and conduit means connecting the interior of the outer chamber with the discharge passageway, wash liquid introduced through the inlet passageway flowing upwardly inside the inner chamber to wash film therein, the wash liquid overflowing the top of the inner wall member into the outer chamber to be discharged through the discharge passageway.

2. A film-washing device as in claim l wherein there is a drain passage in the base block connecting the inner chamber liquid in the inner chamber to swirl as substantially tangentially from each branch to cause wash it flows upwardly therein.

4. A film-washing device as in claim l wherein the inner wall member extends upwardly above the outer wall member so that wash liquid overflowing the top of the inner wall member can be observed. 

1. A device for washing photographic film which comprises a base block, inner and outer tubular wall members mounted on the base block and extending upwardly therefrom to define an inner chamber inside the inner wall member and an outer chamber between the wall members, upper ends of the chambers being open, means for supporting film reels inside the inner chamber, an inlet passageway in the base block, means for introducing wash liquid into the inlet passageway, there being inlet jets extending from the inlet passageway into the interior of the inner chamber, a discharge passageway in the base block, means for receiving wash liquid from the discharge passageway, and conduit means connecting the interior of the outer chamber with the discharge passageway, wash liquid introduced through the inlet passageway flowing upwardly inside the inner chamber to wash film therein, the wash liquid overflowing the top of the inner wall member into the outer chamber to be discharged through the discharge passageway.
 2. A film-washing device as in claim 1 wherein there is a drain passage in the base block connecting the inner chamber with the discharge passageway, the drain passage being of restricted size so that only a minor portion of the wash liquid introduced into the inner chamber through the inlet passageway is discharged therethrough while liquid is being supplied through the inlet passageway.
 3. A film-washing device as in claim 1 wherein the inlet passageway includes branches on opposite sides of the axis of the inner chamber and a plurality of jets extend upwardly and substantially tangentially from each branch to cause wash liquid in the inner chamber to swirl as it flows upwardly therein.
 4. A film-washing device as in claim 1 wherein the inner wall member extends upwardly above the outer wall member so that wash liquid overflowing the top of the inner wall member can be observed. 